Major jump-off: Barangay Pasiagan, Bongao
Elevation: Tambisan Peak - 314 MASL (1,030 feet); Sibutu Peak - 342 MASL (1,122 feet)(
Days required / Hours to summit: Half-day / 2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 2
Features: It is within the 250-hectare dense forest of Bongao Peak Eco-Tourism Park with a 3,608-step cobblestone trail in some parts inhabited with the wild long-tailed Macaque monkeys. The mountain itself is formed by 6 massive vertical limestone cliffs which represents its 6 peaks.
This is a four-province tour dated June 1 – 6, 2002 in the part of Mindanao, Philippines. Personally, I considered this an achievement to visit Tawi-tawi, Jolo and Basilan. It somewhat changed my bad impressions about these places overplayed by the media as high risk and no-go areas. I could vouch that the people of Tawi-tawi in particular are fun and peace-loving people. Christians and Muslims there live in harmony as I witnessed in the parties I was invited to attend with.
I was based then in Zamboanga City and every time, I tour to each island, I would go back to Zamboanga City as my point of origin. Tawi-tawi was the last island that I traveled to. I only have three things to do in this island, one is to have a picture of PNB Tawi-tawi signage, to have a swim on its Sanga-sanga beach and finally to scale Bongao’s peak.
While in a 3-day stay in Bongao, I enjoyed the company of the employees of PNB Tawi-tawi Branch where I stayed in branch manager’s house. This is one of the perks of being a Philnabanker. I also met there some friends from the Philippine Marine Group and attended a festive and party where both Christians and Muslims are the guests and we are all in harmony.
My PNB connected provided me a great help in having a research about the place most particularly about Bud Bongao with the Tourism Office on its municipal hall. I learned that the said mountain is really called Bud Bongao with the word “Bud” on its Sinama dialect which is translated to Filipino as “Bundok” or “Mountain” in English. Thus, locals call it as “Bud Bongao”.
The tourism officer had repeatedly told me that the mountain is sacred and therefore anybody who will scale it should show respect to it. It is sacred because there were two preachers who are followers of Karim ul-Makhdum, the founder of Islam in Tawi-Tawi buried here located along the cross-trail to Simunul and Tambisan peak where locals call it Tampat Rocks. First, he told me to buy a cloth which will be used to wrap up my neck which I forgot its local name. Then, he told me to buy more than enough bananas for the wild long-tailed Macaque monkeys (Macaca Fascicularis).
I also learned that Bud Bongao is just the second highest mountain in Tawi-Tawi with an actual elevation of 342 MASL since Mount Sibangkat of the Languyan town is the highest at 535 MASL located at the borders of the municipalities of Bongao and Panglima Sugala.
The six peaks of Bud Bongao are: Bongao - 230 MASL, Sibutu -342 MASL, Simunul – 328 MASL, Tambisan – 317 MASL, Tinondakan – 309 MASL, and Pajar – 260 MASL. My trek was from its jump-off point at Barangay Pasiagan to Tambisan Peak at 317 MASL following a trail of 3,608-step cobblestone trail. The viewdeck at the Tambisan peak provides a view of the Celebes Sea and Tambisan Island. Each peak has a viewdeck where the island it has been named after it can be viewed. I had my climb here on the second day of my stay dated June 4, 2002.
